


Ingenious Lovely Things

by Daegaer



Series: Pretend to be Human [3]
Category: Saiyuki
Genre: AU, Androids, Friendship, M/M, Partial Mind Control, Past Brainwashing, Science Fiction, Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-01
Updated: 2017-05-01
Packaged: 2018-10-26 09:53:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10784457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daegaer/pseuds/Daegaer
Summary: Sanzo and his android servants stop in an out-of-the-way place. Something odd happens.





	Ingenious Lovely Things

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lauand](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lauand/gifts).



> The title is taken from [Nineteen Hundred and Nineteen](https://www.csun.edu/~hceng029/yeats/yeatspoems/NineteenNinete), by W.B. Yeats.
> 
> A sequel to [Re-Modelled](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5179073) and [Pretend to be Human](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5595460).

" _I'm sorry to say, sir, that my previous assessment was correct. The next settlement is too far for us to reach in one day's driving,_ " Hakkai said, his eyes still firmly on the pot-holed and rutted track that he claimed was a pre-Event road.

"Huh," Sanzo said, staring glumly out the window.

" _I could drive through the night again, sir? Obviously I would schedule in a stop to allow you and Master Goku to attend to your bodily needs. If you would prefer that to stopping?_ "

Goyjo tensed behind him. Now the bastard would start in with cutting remarks and Hakkai would just sit there and take it like he had to. They had been on the road for three nights already; a fourth night meant little to him even if they had to camp this time, seeing as he was properly insulated, but Sanzo complained about the heat, about the cold, about the dust when it was dry, about the mud when it was wet – 

"What's your problem?"

Gojyo snapped his attention politely onto his _beloved_ master's face. Sanzo had half-turned to scowl at him, looking like he'd relish the chance of two targets.

" _Nothing. Sir,_ " Gojyo said. " _I'm. Considering. The. Security. Arrangements. For. Tonight._ "

"Consider them with a less stupid expression on your face, if you come configured for that," Sanzo said, the joy of being mean clear in his voice. "That goes for you, too," he added to Goku.

"I didn't say anything!" Goku protested. "Gojyo! Tell him I didn't say anything!"

"Shut it," Sanzo said, as Goku whined again, 

"Gojyo, tell him!"

The conflicting orders buzzed across his mind like irritating flies, and Gojyo took refuge in his face going automatically factory-blank for a moment, then looking meekly down at his lap like a good little android. If Sanzo hadn't damn well told him to obey the kid in everyday circumstances – or if the monastery wasn't so cheap that it didn't bother updating his software – he wouldn't have these minor embarrassments. Sanzo enjoyed watching his androids get reminded of their station, he thought, keeping his eyes down. Bastard.

They stopped in the late afternoon, pulling off the track to roll to a gentle stop near a stand of tall, remarkably straight trees. Gojyo eyed them distrustfully, but no branches looked ready to fall, and they just looked – tree-like. Not the gnarled, twisted things they'd seen on some stretches of the road that lived in places no one with sense would leave the safety of the jeep. 

" _The air's good,_ " Hakkai said, looking at the readings. " _The background radiation is low. We're past that bad patch, sir, we can open the seals._ "

"Good," Sanzo said. "I'm not spending another night cooped up in here with all of you. Open the seals, I want some fresh air."

Hakkai nodded, pressing the release button. The seals opened and the roof drew back, allowing a warm breeze to blow most of the stale scent away. It had probably been worse for the humans, Gojyo thought. All _his_ senses had been concerned with had been the filters' management of the CO 2 levels. Sanzo got headaches long before the air even got halfway stale, and then he just got meaner than usual.

" _Hey,_ " he said, as Goku vaulted out, whooping. " _Wait. Up._ "

"No way!" Goku said. "I've been scrunched up in there with you for _ages_!" He lit out for the trees.

" _Master Goku, it really would be sensible to wait until Gojyo and I have patrolled –_ " Hakkai started, sounding genuinely worried.

"Let him go. Maybe I'll get lucky and something will eat him," Sanzo said, clambering out. "Get things set up."

" _But, sir –_ "

"Don't fucking argue with me. I gave you an order."

" _Sir_ ," Hakkai said, his voice and face so polite, his awkward bow in the driver's seat so deep that Gojyo wanted to wince at the thought of the subroutines pulling him down. Unless he was faking, of course. Which made Gojyo want to wince for a whole set of other reasons. No, he decided. Not even Hakkai could be pretending respect like that to his owner's face. He jumped out and busied himself pulling out the supplies for the night. What was the _point_ in owning an android with enough fancy programming to be able to voice its own suggestions, he thought, if all you did was tell it to shut up and not argue? He looked round as a hand patted his shoulder.

" _You're looking deep in thought._ "

" _Me? Never,_ " he said, giving his harsh laugh so Hakkai'd know it was a joke. Sanzo was far too near to risk actually saying what he wanted, none of which was complimentary on the subject of humans. " _Give. Me. A. Hand?_ "

" _Of course,_ " Hakkai said, and helped him carry the box with the overnight shelter to the flattest part of the ground they could find. Hakkai swept some stones away with his foot, and Gojyo activated the shelter, watching it unfold itself. As usual, it got stuck halfway, and they had to coax it out of its box carefully, easing the struts into their correct positions.

" _All. Done,_ " Gojyo said with satisfaction as it finally _pinged_ , and drove its spikes down into the earth, securing itself. Stupid object, he thought. It always sounded so _pleased_ with itself, sitting there like a squat, unnaturally-bright orange. 

" _Master Sanzo, perhaps one of us should retrieve Master Goku now?_ " Hakkai said. " _It would be more secure if you were together._ "

"It's quieter without him," Sanzo grumbled. "You said this area's not contaminated, he'll be all right. Gojyo, get the food started. That'll get Goku back soon enough."

" _Yes. Sir,_ " Gojyo said, and pulled out the rations they had bought two towns back. He'd made sure they were packed on top for easy access. Sanzo said they tasted like freeze-dried shit, but a dumb security android couldn't be blamed for not knowing one brand of human fuel from another, right? He kept his expression neutral as he stirred some of their water in to the unappealing mixture; he didn't want to make the bastard more suspicious than usual. Not before he actually had to eat it, anyway.

" _For the trees to be so verdant they must have a good water source,_ " Hakkai said. " _With your permission, sir, I'll see if it might be fit for us to replenish our own drinking supplies._ "

" _Fine_ ," Sanzo snapped. "Go. Find Goku, have a swim, whatever. Where's the damn food, Gojyo?" He settled down, muttering, " _Verdant_ , for fuck's sake."

" _It. Needs. A. Little. More. Heating, Sir,_ " Gojyo said. He wondered if he could get away with adding a few sachets of salt to it, but decided it wouldn't be fair to Goku. Not that the kid would probably care, he could eat just about anything, it seemed.

Sanzo lit a cigarette and stared up at the sky, seeming almost peaceful as he watched the smoke curl upwards. After a while he even relaxed enough to let his robes slip down off his shoulders and puddle around his waist as he soaked in the last of the day's sun. It was almost all right being left alone with him, Gojyo thought. Perhaps he'd add only one sachet of salt to the food. He decided to show some initiative and boil water for tea without being told to. Sanzo took the offered cup without comment – or thanks, of course – and drank, still in blessed silence.

The peace was broken by yelling from the stand of trees. _Goku,_ Gojyo thought, jumping up. A burst of white rose up as birds flew away from the stand in alarm.

"Sanzo! Sanzo, Gojyo, quick!"

" _Stay! Here!_ " Gojyo said as Sanzo leapt up, pulling his robes into order. It was as useless as all the other times he had tried to protect his owner; Sanzo didn't even look at him as he ran headlong towards the sound of Goku's yells, his gun in his hand.

Gojyo outpaced Sanzo easily, his weapon ready. He skidded to a halt at the edge of the stand of trees, looking for danger and seeing only Goku and Hakkai crouched at the edge of a small, slow stream.

" _What. Is. It?_ " he yelled. " _Goku. Are. You. Injured?_ " 

"It's Hakkai!" Goku said, "I can't – Gojyo, _please_ -"

The kid sounded horrified, and Hakkai's calm voice just seemed to be making him worse. Gojyo stepped closer, seeing how Goku's hands were pressed to Hakkai's face, how they were wet and red – 

" _Where. Are. You Hurt?_ " he asked sharply.

"I'm fine," Goku said, sounding like he wanted to cry. "Hakkai –"

" _Honestly, Master Goku, if you'd just let me stand I'm sure I'd be quite all right,_ " Hakkai said.

His cheek was lacerated, Gojyo saw, and _bleeding_. Goku seemed to be trying to hold the edges of the cuts together, hampered by Hakkai's attempts to calm him down.

" _What. The. Hell?_ " Gojyo said. He'd been cut in fights before, he was sure he'd seen Hakkai get cut too. He'd never seen an android bleed. For one brief moment he let himself think of all the stupid stories Goku had loved to hear about teenagers being kidnapped and brainwashed so they thought they were androids. Then he got hold of himself and knew Hakkai wasn't any such thing, and would be able to explain this.

"You fucking morons, what have you done now?" Sanzo said behind him, out of breath and furious.

" _No. Enemy. Sir,_ " Gojyo said.

"Sanzo, you've gotta help me," Goku said.

"I'll tell you what I've got to do," Sanzo muttered, and strode forwards, yanking Goku to his feet. "Is that water clean?" he snarled at Hakkai.

" _Yes, sir,_ " Hakkai said, pressing his own hand to his cheek.

"Goku, wash your damn hands. _You_ , stand the hell up and tell me what happened."

" _I had just tested the water and received a clean result,_ " Hakkai said, standing. " _Master Goku was sitting over by those rocks. I watched some large, white birds standing in the stream. It was quite peaceful; I had just been thinking how beautiful the birds were when they attacked me._ "

"Huh," Sanzo said. "So what caused this?" He gestured towards Hakkai's face. The bleeding had stopped, though Hakkai still kept his hand pressed hard against his cheek. "Was it the water? The fucking ornithology? Or were you programmed to bleed as a response to perceptions of beauty?"

Hakkai went very still, then he cautiously lowered his hand. His skin looked like it was sealing. 

" _I cannot access such proprietary information from my memory banks,_ " he said.

Gojyo turned aside so that Sanzo wouldn't see his expression. He couldn't remember ever hearing an android saying something that sounded quite so much like _Fuck off_. He wasn't much for appreciating landscapes, but this, he thought, was beautiful. When he looked back, Sanzo was glaring at Hakkai, eyes narrowed, while Hakkai looked as mild and cheerful as ever, the effect somewhat marred by the lines on his cheek and the wash of red down his face and neck.

"Back to the jeep," Sanzo said. "Goku! Your damn hands are clean enough! Gojyo, patch this moron up. You'll have to make do with the repair supplies we have, Hakkai."

" _Thank you, sir_ ," Hakkai said. He paused. " _The water did register clean, but I would recommend we not drink from it, just in case._ "

Sanzo grunted in agreement.

"Whatever," he said, looking at Goku scrubbing his hands, tears still running down his face. "Don't discuss this with him. Lie if you have to. I don't need him getting more worked up than usual." He rounded on Hakkai suddenly, hissing, "You! You just can't act _normal_ , can you? Neither of you is to discuss what happened with another living soul."

He marched down to the stream, grabbed Goku by the arm and, hauling him along, led the way back. He complained about Goku having run off in the first place, he complained about the food Gojyo served them, he complained about the way the shelter had been erected. And then, finally, he shoved Goku into the shelter and Gojyo could tend to Hakkai.

" _Really, you shouldn't concern yourself,_ " Hakkai said as Gojyo lit a small lamp before rinsing away the red wash on his skin. It hadn’t stiffened and coagulated like blood, Gojyo was glad to see. He didn't relish the thought of himself whimpering like Goku if it _had_ been real human blood. " _I'm perfectly all right._ "

" _Did. It. Hurt?_ " Gojyo said, carefully spreading sealant on Hakkai's cheek. His skin seemed to have closed over nicely by itself, but there was no harm in being thorough.

" _Well, I suppose it depends on what a person might mean by pain_ ," Hakkai said with a little laugh. " _Do we feel it, after all? Those birds_ did _have terribly sharp beaks, almost as if they were enhanced somehow. I suspect them of not being entirely natural creatures. This whole area – so peaceful, so lovely. Why shouldn't it just be a cover for danger and horror under the beauty? Everything else is._ "

" _Shh. Shh. Turn. Your. Head: Left. Right; Run. Through. Some. Facial. Expressions - All. Right. I. Think. You're. Fine._ "

Hakkai nodded, looking over at the shelter, now sitting squat and dark in the dim, half-clouded light of the moon. The sounds of Sanzo's views on stupid kids who ran off and got other people's androids damaged had been replaced by quiet snores.

" _Thank you,_ " Hakkai said quietly. " _I know you were worried._ "

" _Should. We. Talk. About. This?_ "

" _Are we living? Are we souls? The mere fact that we_ can _discuss this argues that Master Sanzo surely did not mean to include us in his prohibition,_ " Hakkai said. He looked tired.

It was all so much less guarded than he usually was in his views on – everything – Gojyo thought. Which probably meant he should step in and shut Hakkai up. That was his job, keeping people safe when they were about to put a foot wrong. He squeezed Hakkai's shoulder, gave him a little shake. So what if he wanted to ask _Has this happened before?_ or _What the hell did you really do for your previous owner?_ What was important now was keeping Hakkai safe.

" _It'll. Be. Better. In. The. Morning._ "

Hakkai looked up at him and slowly, very slowly, smiled.

" _It's already a good deal better for me than it was before, Gojyo,_ " he said, very quietly. " _So much better._ "

 _Shit_ , Gojyo thought. _Shit, shit, shit. You were supposed to_ stop _talking._

" _Yeah?_ " he said, and squeezed Hakkai's shoulder hard enough to make him cry, if he were a human.

" _Indeed; our masters are safe and fed, we are in a non-contaminated area and I have been competently repaired,_ " Hakkai said calmly. " _It's such a relief, don't you think? Please for give my previous outburst. This area is no doubt quite safe; all the readings indicate as much._ "

He stood, looking around him calmly.

" _What a beautiful night it's turning out to be. Do you want to patrol first? I'm happy to follow your lead in security matters, as always._ " He leant in close and murmured, so quietly that no human could have heard, " _Don't look so worried. I'm fine._ "

It sounded like any android reassuring another about their ability to function, but when he drew back he was laughing, oddly, silently. Whatever the joke was, Gojyo thought, it wasn't something he wanted to be clued in on.

" _I'll. Take. First. Patrol,_ " he agreed, and set out around the perimeter.

When he looked back Hakkai was standing there in the moonlight, his fingers tracing the lines of the now-sealed cuts on his cheek, and his expression distant. He looked like he was caught up in memories, none of them pleasant. Gojyo found himself measuring the distance back to the shelter, and calculating how quickly he could reach Sanzo and Goku's side. 

_You're crazy,_ he thought. _It's just Hakkai._

He turned and continued his patrol, on edge the whole way.


End file.
